Improvement in sewing-machines



J. A. 8 H. A. HOUSE. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 39,444. I Patented Aug. 4, 1863.

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,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. HOUSE AND HENRY Af HOUSE, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND AUGUSTUS G. SEAMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming partei' Letters Patent No. 39.444, dated August 4, ISGS.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Beit known that we, JAMES A. HOUSE and HENRY A. HOUSE, both of Brooklyn, in the county ot' Kings and 'State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, ot which the'following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanyingdrawings,which make part of this specification, andin which- Figure 1 represents aplau or top view of a machine for working button-holes embracing our improvements, with its upper` casing removed Fig. 2, a view in elevation of oneside nt` the same, the casing and a portion of the mechanism being shown in section, and the presser-lever raised, inorder to permit the re mova'l or adjustment of the work. Fig. 3 represents a vertical transverse section through the same at the line w a: ot' Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a detached view of the cam and collar by which motion is communicated .from the needle-mandrel to the curved finger. Fig. 5 represents a view partly in plan and partly in section, showing the details-ot` the frog and gripping-lever by which the stitching mechanism is rotated at proper intervals; and Fig. represents a view in perspective ofthe gripping-lever detached and inverted. h

The improvements claimed under this patent consist, rst, in arranging the tension. apparatus of both needles underneath the bedplate or table ofa sewing-machine, whereby a clear space is left above for the operator; secondly,in combining afrog and a gripping-lever with the rotary disk or frame, upon which the stitching mechanism is mounted in such manner as to rotate thedisk at the proper moment'to work around the eye of a button-hole or to commence a new one; thirdly,in combining an eccentric and an adjustable arm withthe needlemandrel for the purpose of graduating the length ot'itsstroke, and consequently the length ot' stitch; fourthly, in driving the looper or thread-carrier by means of a cam mounted on a collar connected with the needle mandrel in such manner that the movements ofthe needle and thread carrier shall' be isochronous; fthly, in mounting the tension-posts loosely in the disk which carries the stitching mechanism, instead of connecting them permanently thereto, as heretofore, whereby we are enabled adjust the tension more readily.

The accompanying drawings exemplify one mode of carrying out the objects ot' ourinvew tion. A bed-plate, A2, is secured npon'the npper portion, A', of the frame or casing, and covers an opening in it,'in which the-stitching mechanism works, the needle playing through a'long slot, A, in the bed-plate. A suitable clamping device, B, is also mounted upon the casing. AIn 'this instance the stitching mechanism and gearing are shown as mounted in a stout frame, D, which slides on ways d on the casing A. The gearing-frame D is traversed back and forth at suitable intervals by means of a screw, E, mounted 0n one end thereof and working through a nut, e, having a female screw cut in it. This nut tits accurately edgewise between vertical standardsc on a bracket, E', projecting from the casing, by which ar'- rangement the mechanism and gearing can (when the upper casing, A', is removed) .be taken out from the frame by simply lifting the nut out ot its bearings, while it is held perfectly .secure while in operation. The traversing screw is rotated by means of its bevel-pin ion e2, which engages alternately with two bevel halfgearsJ'f, on a sliding collar, F, which moves freely on`the driving-shaft G, which is mounted in the traversing frame D, a slot in the casing permitting it to travel with the frame.

The main bearing for the stitching mechanism consists ot' a cylinder, H, forming part ot' the' traversing frame D. The spindle or collar i of the upper disk, I, is hollow, and passes. downthroughthecylinderH. Thelower disk;

l', is likewise providedwith a similar spindle, i', which incloses that of the upper one. The bottom of this disk bears upon the top of the cylinder `H, arid has a downward projecting rim or flange, t", forming a cavity, in which is placed a ring, d, having a iiange on both its outer and inner edges. A frog, K, lies inside this disk. It consists of a ring having projections k on its periphery. Fig. 5 shows a plan view ot' this frog, which lits accurately but turns freelyin the tianged rim J. A grippinglever, K', ot' the-form shown in I1`ig.6 has upon it a key, k', which tits into a-notch, K2, o n the frog, as shown in Fig. 5. The nose 7c3 ot' this lever lits into a slot in the lower disk, I', while its vtail 7c* projects through a slot in the edge ot' the same disk. .Thisdevice is an improvementon the pawl-and-ratchet arrangement for turning the disk describedin a patent heretofore granted to us, and has proved of great vpractical value, for we found by experience that thc ratchet-teethwere soon worn ofi' by the constant abrasion to which they were subjected, whereas iu th'e present case the turning of the disk is ei'ected by frictional contact, t'orit will be seen by reference to the drawings that"the lever locks the frog and disk together while moving in one direction, but leaves them entirely disconnected when moving in the other. The rotating movement of the ring J around its axis is produced by an eccentric, L, on the driving-shaft Gr, which a-ctuates a pusher, L', pivoted to the ring, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

' Theneedle-Inandrel N is driven by an eccentric, O, on ,the driving-shalt G, which actuares an adjustable arm or connecting-link,A 0. This -link .is attachedv to a slotted arm, 02, by means ota nutiand set-screws, o, in order to varythe length of stroke of the needle-mandrei. ,This slotted arm is connected to a rockshal't, 03, pivoted to .a bracket, O5, underneath the framol).` The needle-mandrel-is driven from the pitmau OJl on this rock-shaft, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The needle bar or shankN,which is mounted on'the mandrel, is made with a projection on its upper end, in which the needle is inserted, and a groove or slot is made in it for thethreadcarrier l? to work in. Both the needle and threadoarrier play through a slotiu-the stitch` ing-plate It, which is made -sufficiently firm, not to yield or spring under the pressure of stitching'.

Two small standards, r, are erected upon the stitching-plate. They serve both as guides i to steadythe needle-bar (which plays between them) and to maintainin its proper relation the ,button Q through a hole,in which the needle-bar also plays. This button plays freely in a slot in the presser-foot Bf, in orde 1l to conform to thetraversing and turning-movements of the. stitching.mechanism, and is provided with asmall handle or tail, q, by which the operator may readily adjustit. 'Asmallholeis made through the button for the passage of a' gimp or cord.

` The curved. finger or thread-carrier p "is 'mounted in suitable bearings on the disk. Its shaft P is rocked by means of a bent arm or crank, p,on it, which plays iu a heart-shaped cam, s,'mounted on au arm projecting from au' oscillating collar, S, which encircles the spindles of the disk, as shown in Fig. 3. A view of the collar, arm, and cam detached is given in Fig. 4. The collar S is connected with the.

needle-mandrel by means of a pin or'screw, which is inserted'iuto Ythe mandrel and'plays freely up and down in a curved slot, S,'in the collar, being provided with friction rings or` roller, that it may run easily. By this means the vertical movements of the needle-mandrel communicate the requisite movements to the looner or threadfcarrier, the movements of which are thus rendered isoch ronous with those of the needle.

The tension-postsT,iustead of being secured to the frame as heretofore, are made to`fit tightly,but are so arranged that they can readily be removed when require l, which arrange- The'spool-cases U are mounted ou a bar, u, one end of which only is fastened to the disk. The bar is then bent hp, and again bent so that theportion on which the spool-cases are mounted is labove but parallel to the disk. The object of this arrangement isto permit the guides lll M to pass over 'the disk, which they could not do were the spool-cases mounted directly upon the lower disk. The pearl-A guide V has au c ve'in .it through which the thread of the looper passes. .It is adjusted by means of a curved slot 4and set-screw, so as to vary its p osilionrelative to the' looper, and thus to vary the position of the pearl ou the button-hole by varying the angle at Awhich the loop is tightened, as will be readily understood bya mechanic. A'n adjustable threadguide, W, is alsoarranged upon this disk. This ltension consists ot' a lever the outer end of which is pivoted to the disk, so as to play vertically in its bearings. It is prevented from rising above a certain point by a setscrew, w, and is held up against the screw by abled to locate the tension apparatus of both needles beneath the tablejnstead ct' having at least one of them above it, as in all previous' machines of which we have .any knowledge, which arrangement is a great conveniencejto the operator, as it leaves the table entirely unobstructed when the presser-foot is raised. The disk is prevented from turning too freely by friction-springs v2, the lower ends of which are inserted into the frame D in such manner as to turn freely in their 1pivots,that they may .be removed out ot' the way when it is desired to separate the disk from the frame.

The shifting-lever is arranged and oper ates in a. manner similarf to the one described in our former patent. It turns upon a pivot, x4, atone end of the sliding frame D, and is made of a U shape, in order to encompass the cylinder H, upon which the disk is mounted. Upon each of its arms x is mounted a small Lot' the lovverdisk, I. There is a small cam or projection, m3, on one side of thisdisk and a. corresponding concavity or depression, x2, on the other, so that when, during the rotation of the disk, the cam 003v strikes one of the frictionrollers the other-enters the concavity, and the shifting-lever is moved, and as a. prolongation, m5, ot' one of its arms ts into the slidingcollar F the'bevel half-gears f are alternately thrown into and out of gear with the traversing screw E. v

The operation of the machine is' as follows z The arrows show the direction of the movement'ot'the several parts. AAsl the drivingshaft G is rotated the bevel half-gearf imment affords greatfacilities for adjust-ing them.

a spiral spring, te. By this device We are en-- friction-rellenar', which bearsagainst the-'edge parts an intermittent rotative movement to the screw E, which propels -the sliding frame D; upon which the gearing and mechanism are mounted, step by step, the distance betweenv the stitches being determined by the length of this step.' The needle-mandrel is vibrated by means of the eccentric 0 and its connections, as hereto-fore explained, and a' corresponding lvibratory movement is imparted to the thread-carrier b through the collar S and heart-shaped cam s.

The manner of forming the stitch has been explained yin our former patent', and does not require repetition here.

When the stitching mechanism has traversed the distance at which `the gageM' has licensed the tail k" of the gripping-lever slips past the end ofthe guide'M. During this time the anged ring J has been oscillated round its axis byits cam In and pusher L"withont acting upon the disk; but when thegrippinglever is released from the guidcit is acted upon by aV small springn0t shown in the drawings) in such mannerthat when moving in one direction it plays loosely, but when moving in the other its key k' locks against the edge ofthe flanged ring J, and turns the disk a distance equal to the" length of stroke of' the camAL, which also determines the distance between thestitches. Whei' the disk has performed a, semi-rotation the tail ktof lthe grippinglever strikes against the guide M, `which throws the gripping-lever out of gear or contact with the danged ringJ. At the same-movement one of the friction-rollers on the shifting-lever strikes the cam w3 on the disk, while the other drops into its corresponding cavity-and moyes the shifting-leversidewise. As one arm,w5, of the lever is connected .with the sliding collar F, the othebevel half-gear, f,is engaged with the pin-ionic on the traversing screw E, the motion-of which is reversed and the stitching mechanism iscansed to traverse back to the point from which it started.

It is obvious that the arrangements ot`mecli anism-ahove described might be varied in' many ways without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We deem it unnecessary here to describe in detail the construction of the entire machine, as such details are shown in three several applications for Letters Patenttiled simultaneous with this, and respectively marked divisions A, B, and 1).

The invention claimed under this patent, though applicable to other'inac'nines, is mainly designed as an improvement in a sewing-machine for which Letters Patent of the United States were grantedNovember 11, 1862, to A. G, Seaman and ourselves,(as our assignees,) to which patent reference is made for a complete understanding of' our invention in the improvement herein described.

What we claim under this patent as our invention isl. Arranging the tension apparatus of both needles or the needle and looper or shuttle ofaI sewing-machine underneath the bed-plate,

vsubstantially in the manner described.

`2. The combination ofa frog and a grippinglever, substantially in the manner described,

for thepurpose of rotatingthe stitching niecbanism when working the eye of afbnttondiole, as set forth.

3. The combination of the eccentric O-and adjustable'arm 0 withl the needle-mandrel, substantially in the 4manner described, forthe purpose ot graduating the length of the stroke ot' the needle-mandrel, as set forth.

4. The combination ot' the needle-mandrel,

JAMES A. House. HENRY A. House.

Witnesses:

E. N. HoUsE, GEO. H. DIMoND. 

